According to former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, it’s unlikely that Hardik Pandya will be chosen as India’s captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup due to ongoing fitness concerns.
Pandya, who hasn’t played since his ankle injury in the 2023 World Cup, is expected to miss the T20I series against Afghanistan and might only return to action in IPL 2024.
Chopra, in a video on his YouTube channel, expressed his opinion that Pandya’s current fitness situation might hinder his captaincy prospects.
He highlighted the absence of recent play, the ankle injury, and the upcoming IPL schedule as factors working against Pandya. Despite Rohit Sharma’s previous stint as captain having its challenges, Chopra anticipates Rohit leading the team in the T20 World Cup, considering the underwhelming batting performances in the last edition.
“Hardik will probably not be the captain because there is an issue regarding fitness. You are not playing currently. You twisted your ankle in the World Cup. You are not playing the Afghanistan series and you don’t play Tests in any case, so you will straightaway play the IPL. It’s going against him,” a part of Chopra’s statement reads.
Chopra also acknowledged the successful top three of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in the 2022 T20 World Cup, suggesting that their run-a-ball contributions against various opponents could secure their positions despite potential changes in leadership.
